Ghostly Seas: A Harper Harlow and Rowan Gray Mystery

by Lily Harper Hart

  Jared scowled. “He’s obviously fine.”

  “Only because I saved him.”

  “Yeah,” Zander added, sticking out his tongue in Jared’s direction. “You’re the one who is in trouble this time.”

  “So much trouble,” Harper echoed. “I’m going to do a dance and everything.”

  It was the wrong time to encourage her, but Jared couldn’t stop himself from smiling. She was simply too cute. “I’m looking forward to the dance.”

  “It’s not going to be a perverted dance,” Zander shot back, although he looked to Harper for confirmation. “Right?”

  She shrugged. “It might turn perverted.”

  “Ugh. I’ve had it with this day. I need a shower.” He moved past Destiny, plucking the knife from her hand as he sidled around her. “I need food and rest. In that order. I also need a shower. That’s first. Who is going to dote on me during those things?”

  Jared sighed when Harper lasered her eyes on him. “I’m guessing I’m going to be the one to dote on you.”

  Harper’s head said yes. “You’ve got that right.”

  “It’s going to have to wait until after we handle the suspects … and get rid of the bomb,” Jared argued. “We have to make sure it’s defused.”

  “I can live with that.”

  He smirked as he opened his arms. “I agree to your terms for a hug.”

  Harper broke out in a wide grin. “Sold.”

  “I was hoping you would say that.”

  20

  Twenty

  Rowan found Harper and Jared rocking in one of the anchored hammocks shortly after breakfast the next day. She’d lost track of them the previous afternoon, which wasn’t exactly surprising, and she was amused to find them wrapped around each other as they slowly swayed back and forth.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you guys this quiet before,” she remarked as she grabbed a nearby lounger and settled on it.

  Harper lifted her head, her hand still on Jared’s chest, and grinned. “Yes, well, I think we’re sick of the arguing.”

  “We’re definitely sick of the arguing,” Jared agreed, his hand remaining warm and solid on Harper’s back. “There’s a moratorium on fighting.”

  “There is,” Harper agreed. “Jared doesn’t like it when we fight.”

  “And you do?” Jared arched a challenging eyebrow, causing her to giggle.

  “I don’t like it any more than you do ... although you seem to take it harder than me.”

  “That’s because it breaks my heart when we fight.” Jared was solemn, but Harper saw right through him.

  “You like it when we make up.”

  “Yes, well, I don’t see why we can’t devise a system where we make up and skip the fight. I know it defies logic, but I think we could make it work.”

  She chuckled as she shook her head, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before focusing on Rowan. “How are things with you?”

  “Well, they could be worse.” Rowan stretched out her long legs and shifted until she got comfortable. “Destiny and Monica are locked in adjoining cells, both trying to spin the story to their advantage. They keep trying to get deals at the other’s expense … and blame each other for killing Tasha, who apparently was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apparently she overheard them plotting and they decided to silence her even though she was too drunk to understand what she was hearing. They’re both angling for deals in her murder. Quinn has explained multiple times that he’s not a police officer and that will have to wait until we dock back in Florida, but they’re not listening.”

  “I think they’re both so delusional that it’s going to take forever to sort things out,” Jared noted, his fingers softly massaging the back of Harper’s neck. “I’m not sure if they were always like this or somehow Brady manipulated them to the point of derangement, but they’re both off their rockers.”

  “Yeah, well ... .” Rowan looked thoughtful for a moment, but she quickly shook her head to dislodge the heavy thoughts. “Quinn says you were a big help in making sure the bomb was taken apart. Thanks for that.”

  “It wasn’t that difficult,” Jared replied. “We were taught about homemade bombs in the academy. What they made was pretty barebones. It was kind of a MacGyver concoction. Once we removed three pieces, it was essentially useless.”

  “That’s what Quinn said,” Rowan confirmed. “For the record, once the bomb was taken apart, the omens disappeared from my photos.”

  Harper smiled as she propped herself up so she could see Rowan more clearly. “That’s great. You have to be relieved.”

  “I am.”

  “Did you notify your father?”

  Rowan glanced around to make sure no one was listening before nodding. “I did. He was relieved. When I told him what happened, he suggested I move in with him because it would be safer. I think that’s kind of funny because he faked his death to keep away from potential killers for ten years, but what do I know?”

  “You know how to take care of yourself,” Harper answered without hesitation. “You’re smart on your feet and I think you make for great backup.”

  Rowan snickered. “Thank you for that.”

  “As for the other thing ... .” Harper trailed off and licked her lips as she darted Jared a quick look.

  “As for the other thing, if you need help with anything, any research or anything, don’t hesitate to give us a call,” Jared offered, smiling at the look of profound gratitude that washed over Rowan’s face. “I know you’re dealing with a lot,” he said. “We’ll help if we can, although I honestly don’t know what sort of aid we can offer.”

  “The fact that you offered at all is a miracle,” Rowan said after a beat. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with all that. It feels like we have a lot in front of us, but it also feels like it will be smooth sailing after.

  “For a long time, I lived like I really didn’t have a future,” she continued, adopting a far-off expression. “I couldn’t see how I would ever be happy. Now I can, and I’m afraid of what will come. I’m also exhilarated, because I know once it’s over, I’ll basically have everything I ever wanted.”

  “It’s great to have something to look forward to,” Jared said, sliding Harper a flirty grin. “I didn’t realize what I was missing until I decided to start looking forward to my future.”

  “It’s a good thing Zander isn’t here right now to listen to this,” Harper offered. “He would be melting down.”

  “He’s perfectly happy where he is, so don’t call him over here.” Jared was firm. “You would be ruining his vacation if you asked him to join us.”

  Harper rolled her eyes. “I’m not calling him over here so you can calm yourself.”

  “Where is Zander?” Rowan asked, glancing around.

  Jared extended his finger in the direction of the tiki bar. There, at a center table, Zander held court as he told some story that had the other patrons watching him with rapt attention. There had to be at least fifty people in the bar, and all eyes were on Zander.

  “What’s he doing?” Rowan asked after watching him for a moment or two.

  “Telling the thrilling story of his kidnapping and rescue,” Harper replied, her voice shaking with laughter. “Just for the record, a few of the details have shifted. For example, he managed to free himself from the ropes and somehow grab a taser to take down Monica.”

  “Ah, well, he’s a wizard of sorts, huh?” Rowan was amused despite herself.

  “Speaking of wizards, what about Brady?” Jared asked, dragging his eyes from an animated Zander. “I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him about his ordeal.”

  “He is ... hard to like,” Rowan admitted after she gave her answer a bit of thought. “I know he was technically a victim and he was held captive in that room for days — forced to sit in the shower and soil himself if he had to go to the bathroom and all that — but he’s a horrible person.”

  “Basically you’re saying that def
ecating on himself was karma,” Jared mused.

  “I don’t want to say that because it makes me sound mean,” Rowan argued.

  “Fair enough.”

  “It’s true, though.” Rowan’s expression darkened. “He seriously is the worst man alive. I don’t understand why somebody hasn’t tried to kill him before this.”

  “I take it he’s been a pain since his rescue,” Harper said. “What did he say?”

  “He said they were both nuts and basically told us the same things we figured out for ourselves,” Rowan replied. “They were going to keep him in the bathroom until right before they were going to set off the bomb. The plan was to put it under the stage in the main dining room and detonate it a few minutes after Monica left the stage.

  “They were going to knock out Brady and move him under the stage, place him right next to the bomb, and make sure he was killed during the explosion,” she continued. “They hoped he would be the prime suspect. They thought people would assume he was jealous about Monica taking his performance slots.”

  “Except the only reason Monica was able to take those slots is because he was missing,” Harper pointed out.

  “Yes, but they didn’t take that into consideration. They’re not exactly the world’s smartest criminals.”

  “I can see that.”

  “What did Brady say about the con he was running with the women?” Jared asked.

  “The one where he was predicting their deaths and then performing spells to remove curses for money? Yeah, he denied that ... until we brought in the cursed women to confront him. Then, all of a sudden, he clammed up. I get the feeling he can’t wait to get off this ship.”

  “I don’t blame him there,” Jared said. “It’s too bad we can’t find something to charge him with.”

  Rowan snickered. “You sound like Quinn. He’s trying to figure out the same thing. I’m guessing he’ll come up with something by the time we land in Florida.”

  “I’ll sit down with him later and we’ll put our heads together,” Jared offered. “It has to wait until after we’re finished hammocking, though.”

  Rowan wrinkled her nose, confused. “I’m sorry but ... what’s hammocking?”

  Harper was beyond amused. “What we’re doing right now,” she explained. “I introduced Jared to it when he first came to Whisper Cove and he can’t get enough of it.”

  “So ... laying in a hammock is hammocking,” Rowan mused. “I guess that makes sense. I can’t ever remember laying in a hammock, though.”

  “I’ve been addicted to hammocks since I was a kid,” Harper explained. “Jared’s lust for hammocking has now surpassed mine, though.”

  “I would totally put a hammock in our bedroom if I thought I could get away with it,” he confirmed, grinning. “Harper thinks that sounds dangerous, but I happen to believe it sounds acrobatic.”

  “Yeah, we’re sticking with our bed.” Harper patted his chest, causing him to laugh. “What about you and Quinn? You have to be happy the cruise is no longer in danger. That’s a big load off, right?”

  “It is,” Rowan agreed. “I was terrified there for a bit. It felt as if I was trapped in quicksand and couldn’t move my limbs. Now that it’s behind us, I feel so much better.”

  “I get that.”

  “Everything is sewed up nicely,” Rowan added. “Er, well, other than Brady. I’m going to leave him to Quinn and Jared, though. Everything from our end is taken care of, though, and it’s a glorious feeling.”

  “Not everything,” Harper hedged.

  Jared tilted his head and stared at her for a long beat. “I don’t want you getting in trouble again. That will make us fight.”

  “I’m not going to get in trouble.” She rolled her eyes. “I am, however, going to help Tasha move on.”

  “You are?” His eyebrows hopped. “How? You need a dreamcatcher.”

  Harper turned rueful. “I might have brought one.”

  “You packed a dreamcatcher?” Jared was incensed. “Why?”

  “Because I thought it was better to have one and not need it than need one and not have it. I was simply covering our bases.”

  “You were being a pain.” To show he wasn’t really angry, Jared tickled her ribs and caused her to squeal. “I guess it worked out, though. You can help Tasha move on and then this will officially be behind us.”

  “Definitely,” Harper agreed.

  “I’d like to be with you while you do it,” Rowan said. “I know I won’t be able to see her, but I’m still interested in the process.”

  “Tasha should be easy,” Harper said. “She hasn’t been here long and there’s nothing anchoring her to this plane. You can definitely come with me. That will save me from having to collect Zander.”

  “Good.” Jared leaned back and threw his arm over his face. “Do it now and get it out of the way. I’ll wait here for you.”

  Harper cast him a sidelong look. “Um ... what about my safety? Don’t you want to come with me? I might need protection.”

  “You’re fully capable of taking care of yourself.”

  “You just don’t want to get out of the hammock,” Harper complained.

  “I won’t deny it. This is my home for the next two days. If you need to find me, I’ll be here.”

  Harper blew out a dramatic sigh. “So ... I’m on my own, huh?”

  Jared moved his arm just enough to peer out from under it, his eyes twinkling. “Never. I expect you back here in an hour. I just thought you might want to talk about girly things or something.”

  “Like bras and tampons?”

  He shrugged. “Whatever you need.”

  “I guess that’s thoughtful.” Harper leaned over and brushed a kiss against his lips. “I’m going to expect you to rub my back when I return. Sending ghosts to the other side tires me out.”

  “No problem. I’ll happily do that all night as long as you’re with me.”

  “Fine.” Harper snagged Rowan’s gaze. “How about one more adventure, just to put a bow on things?”

  Rowan’s lips curved. “You’re on.”

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  Acknowledgments

  I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

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